The weightlifting duo of Sanjita Chanu and Mirabhai Chanu have done India and Manipur proud by claiming India’s first two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast City. Both broke Commonwealth Games records on their way to victory.

Mirabai, a Padma Shri awardee, opened India’s account on the first day of the Games. In the women’s 48kg division, she managed to improve upon her personal bests in both the snatch and the clean and jerk. Her individual lifts and total lift set new records not only for the Games, but also for all Commonwealth countries in any competition.

Sanjita followed Mirabai’s lead by claiming gold in the 53kg category earlier today. She broke the Commonwealth Games snatch record with a lift of 84kg, and then managed 108 kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 192 kg. This gave her a comfortable win over the defending champion, Loa Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea, who won silver with a toal of 182kg.

Both weightlifters take inspiration from and continue the legacy of the legendary Kunjarani Devi, the most decorated Indian women in weightlifting, who is also from Manipur. Devi had made waves in the Eighties and Nineties for her consistent medal placings at the World Weightlifting Championships and the Asian Games.